Lingle, Hirono
discuss their
backgrounds
The historic and bitter race for governor between Republican Linda Lingle and Democratic Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono is in its final weeks.
To help understand the candidates, Star-Bulletin political reporter Richard Borreca sat down with both candidates to discuss their backgrounds and personal concerns about life in the public spotlight and how they would run the state of Hawaii.
Both have similarities. Lingle and Hirono were both raised during portions of their formative years by their grandmothers. Both lived apart from the normal family structure at times. And both felt they grew into political leadership, not as a planned course, but a passion.
Hirono, 54, came to Hawaii from Japan when she was 8, speaking no English and growing up without many luxuries.
Lingle, 48, was born in St. Louis and came to Hawaii after the breakup of her first marriage. While having grown up in a middle-class Jewish neighborhood, her family life was unsettled as her family moved in hopes of curing her mother's manic depression.
Hirono went to the University of Hawaii, protested the Vietnam War, worked with a community action program for a summer in Waimanalo and decided to become a lawyer.
Lingle worked for the Teamsters Union, and then founded a newspaper on Molokai, the Molokai Free Press.
At about the same time that Hirono was running and winning office to the state House from the McCully area of Honolulu, Lingle was winning a seat on the Maui County Council.
Lingle went on to serve five two-year Council terms and two terms as Maui's mayor. Hirono served seven two-year terms in the Legislature before winning as lieutenant governor in 1994 and 1998.
The interviews:
